Trends and rights

The Chief Islamic Justice has just released unsettling figures about divorce rates in the country, saying that there is a rapid increase in the number of such cases.

As unfortunate as this may be, many of these cases can be explained by the fact that women were empowered, became more aware and better educated, and came to realise that they no longer had to take abuse and violence from their husbands.

Most women today are well informed and work in professions that can compete with men’s in the labour market. While that is a good development, it could lead to friction between genders.

Being themselves bread winners, women cannot be anymore the wives who used to take abuse stoically and yield to social or family pressure to resign themselves to their fate, with no regard for their dignity and rights.

There are myriad reasons for a marriage to be concluded or dissolved, no doubt, but if before social mores and norms used to dictate a certain behaviour — it still does in many parts of the country — now with education came power and liberation, and more and more women would rather break up their marriages than stay enslaved by archaic traditions that impose obedience to their spouses no matter how degrading and painful that may be.

The rise in divorce rates has also been made possible by the changes in the Personal Status Law, which now allows women to seek divorce.

Another piece of news from the same source is that more and more women stay single for longer periods, refraining from getting married at an early age.

That may go against social customs, but it is wise and benefits the family, once it is started.

This trend could also be explained by the fact that more and more Jordanian women often choose to pursue higher education, postponing marriage to a more mature age.

More educated women may not easily accept to get married to men of their families’ choice; they would rather remain independent until they find themselves what they believe to be the right persons to share their lives with.

The Jordanian society is changing, mainly due to the emancipation of women and their empowerment through education and skill acquisition.

Early marriage is no longer the norm in the country and women prefer to mature and acquire skills before they commit for the rest of their lives.

The country must encourage the young generation of women to make their own choices about their life partners.

That is one right in the long battle women have been fighting to win many others that they deserve.